1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a terminal block assembly including a plurality of stacked terminal blocks at least one having a plurality of terminals that are laterally connected with corresponding terminals on the adjacent terminal block, and bridge means for selectively connecting the terminal of the one terminal block.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Various devices are known in the prior art for bridging elements which allow for the connection of terminals inside a terminal block assembly and which are suitable for conducting potentials between distributor bars in the direction of the terminal block assembly. Such devices are used, for example, in connecting electrical components such as voltage sources, signal receivers, sensors, actuators, and field units and are also frequently used in control systems with a modular structure. Example of such devices are shown in, for example, German patents Nos. DE 43 22 535 A1, DE 30 48 497 A1, and DE 68 91 20 40 T2. In these prior devices, the lateral or cross-distribution is accomplished using one distributor bar and, as a result, the conducting of the potential does not leave the distributor bar. Consequently, only connection elements are connected to each other in the direction of the terminal block assembly. This results in a failure of the neighboring distributor bars to be reliably brought to the same potential.
The present invention was developed to overcome these and other drawbacks of the prior devices by providing an improved terminal block assembly in which distributor bars are bridged together and include plug-in link portions which provide lateral or cross-distribution of electrical output to adjacent distributor bars contained in adjacent terminal blocks. Such a branching arrangement is especially useful in large complex modular control systems because it allows such systems to be branched and wired in a space saving and flexible manner.
A conductor connected with one of these distributor bars is connected with and supplies power to a control signal device, a printed circuit board, or to an electronics module that is associated with the distributor bar and which belongs to a modular control system.